10 day Gavin Morris trial hears of ‘gratuitous violence’, ‘breathtakingly inadequate’ investigation
A former principal’s court case has heard allegations of ‘gratuitous violence’ – and startling revelations from police, who completed a ‘breathtakingly inadequate’ investigation. Read the latest.
There was an “breathtakingly inadequate” police investigation into allegations an ex-principal choked young Aboriginal boys while running an Alice Springs school, which a court heard constituted ”gratuitous violence” on the final day of the former principal’s criminal trial.
Prosecutor James Moore has closed his case in the 10-day criminal trial of Gavin Morris, where he told Judge Anthony Hopkins this was a case of “gratuitous violence”.
“He (Mr Morris) couldn’t control his temper and he lashed out in each instance and grossly overreacted in a disproportionate way,” Mr Moore said.
“What each incident had in common was some degree of misbehaviour on the part of the complainant … but the fact of a child seemingly misbehaving from the perspective of a principal does not give the principal the right to manhandle, let alone violently assault these young Aboriginal children.”
Mr Morris has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault, alleged to have occurred in 2023.
The assaults are alleged to involve two children aged 12, and others aged 13, 9, and 8.
Kids have given evidence in court throughout the trial, but the court was closed by Judge Anthony Hopkins – who’s also approved a non-publication order preventing the identification of the kids.
But Friday, the court heard snippets of the evidence some of the children gave: Mr Moore told the court one kid said that Mr Morris grabbed him the “rough way” and left his ears “stinging” after he was allegedly grabbed and dragged by the ears by Mr Morris.
Another child – who alleged he was choked by Mr Morris – told the court he was “feeling like he was going to blackout” and was “telling the principal to let him go”, Mr Moore relayed on Friday.
Another boy said he “felt pain in the side of his head” after he hit his head on a fire extinguisher when he was allegedly choked by Mr Morris in the hallway outside the Yipirinya kitchen, Mr Moore told the court.
Another boy said Mr Morris was “very rough” with him when he was allegedly choked by the former principal before being allegedly put in a headlock and dragged to the office, Mr Moore said.
The boy later said he was “frightened of Gavin” when asked why he hadn’t been to school in a year, Mr Moore said.
Mr Morris has pleaded not guilty to all five counts, and is out on bail.
He now resides interstate, but was sitting in the front row of the gallery on Friday, staring at the ground as Mr Moore outlined the evidence in the case.
He has been in court every single day of the 10 day trial.
At the time of the alleged offending, Mr Morris was principal of Yipirinya School in Alice Springs, but he is no longer employed there.
Yipirinya School specialises in teaching Indigenous children local Aboriginal languages.
Prior to Mr Moore giving his closing address, NT Police officer Sarah Lucht, part of the child abuse taskforce in Alice Springs, was grilled by Mr Morris’ defence lawyer John Wilson about the inquiries she conducted as part of the investigation.
She was asked about the efforts she made trying to track down kitchen staff and other teachers who may have been witnesses to Mr Morris’ alleged offending.
She agreed under questioning she was unable to track down kitchen staff, and did not travel to the school to make inquiries in person, as Yipirinya School chief executive Lisa Watts told her the kitchen staff did not witness anything.
Ms Lucht said “there were a number of people at the school who weren’t willing to speak with me”.
But Mr Wilson pressed back, asking “how do you know if they’re not willing to speak to you” “if you don’t know who they are”.
“Lisa Watts told me,” Ms Lucht told the court.
The court heard police had tracked down additional teachers and witnesses only days before the trial was due to start.
Mr Moore, in his closing statement, told the court police started their investigation a year after the alleged assaults occurred, and the evidence presented in court would prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
Mr Wilson, in his closing statement, said the prosecution case has “significant issues” which relied heavily on “compelling” evidence given by the kids.
There was an “absence of evidence” in the case, according to Mr Wilson, who said there was an “entirely inadequate police investigation”.
Mr Wilson said prosecution failed to ask a number of key questions to the kids, many of which had conflicting statements, while the police investigation was “breathtakingly inadequate,“ referencing Ms Lucht’s evidence from the morning.
This could equate to a reasonable doubt Judge Hopkins might have in the evidence, Mr Wilson said, which Judge Hopkins “should act on”.
Judge Hopkins will deliver his decision in the case at a later date.
‘Stayed silent’: Former principal relives arrest in court
September 11, 5pm: The mother of a boy allegedly choked by former Yipirinya principal Gavin Morris never told police her son “couldn’t f*****g breathe,” an Alice Springs court has heard on a day where the former principal had to relive his arrest.
Former Yipirinya School principal Gavin Morris remained silent when he was taken to the watch-house, the court heard on the ninth day of his trial.
NT Police detective Sophie Campbell, who led the investigation into Mr Morris, was questioned by prosecutor James Moore about the moment Mr Morris was arrested.
She agreed she arrested Mr Morris, agreed he stayed silent during his arrest at his home, and agreed he remained silent after he was taken to the watch-house.
Sitting in the front row of the court on Thursday, Mr Morris was emotionless as the court heard about his arrest.
Mr Morris was arrested in August 2024 and charged with five counts of aggravated assault.
The assaults are alleged to have occurred in 2023.
Mr Morris has pleaded not guilty and is out on bail.
He now resides interstate but has returned to Alice Springs for his 10 day trial.
Throughout the trial, the court has heard Mr Morris allegedly pulled students by their ears, choked one, and performed a “bear hug” on another.
NT Police constable Caitlyn Scheidegger, who’d taken a statement from a mum alleging her son was choked by Mr Morris, also gave evidence on Thursday.
A non-publication order placed by Judge Anthony Hopkins prevents identifying any of the kids involved in the trial.
The mum cannot be identified in order to protect the identity of her son.
Lawyer John Wilson, representing Mr Morris, questioned Ms Scheidegger around the mother’s statement to police – particularly how she did not tell the police her son told her he “can’t f*****g breathe” when Mr Morris allegedly held him.
Ms Scheidegger agreed when questioned the mum did not tell her what her son said when Mr Morris allegedly grabbed him.
“If it’s not in her statement she didn’t mention it,” Ms Scheidegger told the court.
The mum of the boy was back behind the stand on Wednesday, where she reiterated her son said he “can’t f*****g breathe” when Mr Morris was allegedly holding him.
On Thursday, the court was again closed as a child gave evidence.
Throughout the 10 day trial, which began on September 1, the court has been sporadically closed by Judge Hopkins for kids to give evidence.
Mr Morris was the principal of Yipirinya School in Alice Springs when he was charged.
Yipirinya School specialises in teaching Indigenous children, and Mr Morris no longer works at the school.
The trial continues.
‘I can’t f*****g breathe’: Mum sticks to story in mammoth Morris trial
September 10, 5pm: A mum has been recalled to the stand in the criminal trial of a former Alice Springs principal, where she reiterated her son told her “I can’t f*****g breathe mum” when he was allegedly held by the school leader.
The trial of former Yipirinya principal Gavin Morris continued in Alice Springs on Wednesday, where a mum who’d previously given was recalled to the stand.
She was one of three witnesses who gave evidence on Wednesday, the other being a Yipirinya School teacher and two youths.
Neither of the witnesses can be named due to a non-publications order preventing the disclosure of the identity of the kids involved.
The mother had previously given evidence last week in the trial, where she told the court she’d arrived at the school and saw Mr Morris holding her son, who was saying “I can’t f*****g breathe”.
Mr Morris’ defence lawyer John Wilson questioned her further on this in court on Wednesday, and she reiterated her son told her “I can’t f*****g breathe mum, I can’t f*****g breathe”.
But under questioning from Mr Wilson, she agreed she did not put her son saying he can’t breathe in her original police statement.
“Yeah it’s not in my statement … I can’t remember if I told the (police officer) that,” she said.
“I’m telling you what happened that day,” the mum told the court, reiterating her son could not breathe after Mr Morris allegedly held him.
Mr Morris has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault, which he has pleaded not guilty too.
The assaults are alleged to have occurred in 2023, when Mr Morris allegedly pulled children by the ears, bear-hugged a kid, and choked another.
Two of the children Mr Morris allegedly assaulted are 12-years-old; the youngest is aged 8, while the other two children were 9 and 13-years-old.
A number of children have given evidence during the 10-day trial, but the court was shut by Judge Anthony Hopkins when the children were in the stand.
Throughout Wednesday, the court was again closed for most of the day while two more children gave evidence.
Mr Morris, his defence lawyers, court staff, the Judge, and prosecution were allowed inside the court while the kids took the stand.
Mr Morris was charged with the assaults in August 2024 while he was principal of the independent indigenous Yipirinya School in Alice Springs.
Now residing interstate, he has returned to Alice Springs for the trial, which began on the first day of September.
He is no longer employed at Yipirinya School.
Mr Morris was elected to Alice Springs Town Council in 2022 but resigned from his seat in March this year – seven months after he was charged.
Mr Morris is an “experienced educator” with “extensive experience across operational, governance, and senior roles,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
The trial continues.
Former principal’s court case faces more delays
September 9, 12pm: A trial in Alice Springs has again hit another snag, with all parties not returning to court until Wednesday.
The trial for former Yipirinya principal Gavin Morris was back before Judge Anthony Hopkins on Tuesday morning, where he adjourned the matter after legal arguments.
No witnesses were called on Tuesday.
Throughout much of the trial, the court has been closed as children gave evidence.
A non publication has been approved by Judge Hopkins which prevents the identification of any children in the case.
Mr Morris’ 10-day trial is due to conclude on Friday, having started on Monday, September 1.
On the first day of the judge-only trial, it was adjourned to begin the following day.
Mr Morris has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault, alleged to have occurred in 2023.
He has pleaded not guilty, and is out on bail, and again appeared in court on Tuesday.
Throughout the trial, the court has heard the former principal allegedly choked, “bear hugged,” and pulled the ears of kids while he was the principal of Yipirinya School.
He is no longer employed at the school.
Mr Morris also once sat on the Alice Springs Town Council, but resigned from the role in March this year.
The trial continues.
Teacher aides left ‘stunned’ by former boss’ alleged actions: Court
September 8, 12pm: Two Yipirinya staff were left “pretty stunned” after witnessing their boss allegedly pull some students by their ears, an Alice Springs court has heard.
The 10-day trial of Gavin Morris entered its halfway point on Monday, where former Yipirinya teacher Gemma Seddon took the stand.
Ms Seddon told the court how two staff members – Sash Germian and Liam Badenoch – were “pretty stunned” after witnessing how their former boss allegedly interacted with students.
Ms Seddon was taken back to June 7, 2023 – the day Mr Morris allegedly grabbed students by the ears and dragged them out of a room.
She told the court she was “on the oval kicking the footy” that day when she heard the childcare centre had been broken into at Yipirinya.
She said she did not witness how Mr Morris acted with the students, but said she found the two teachers’ aides were “stunned” once she’d arrived at the centre.
Mr Morris has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault, alleged to have occurred between January and December 2023.
His trial formally began last Tuesday, where Mr Morris pleaded not guilty when he was formally arraigned.
Throughout the trial, the court has heard allegations Mr Morris allegedly choked, “bear-hugged” and pulled the ears of children while he was principal of the independent Yipirinya School in Alice Springs.
He is no longer employed at the school, and resigned from his position on the Alice Springs Town Council in March this year.
Mr Morris was charged in August last year, and was granted bail.
He has been on bail throughout his hearing, and again sat in the front row as he appeared in court.
After Ms Sneddon gave evidence on Monday, Judge Anthony Hopkins – who is presiding over the matter – closed the court for children to give evidence.
At the beginning of the trial, Judge Hopkins placed a non-publication order on the trial, which prevents identifying any of the children involved.
The trial continues.
‘Gavin was rough with some boys’: Bess Price takes stand in Morris trial
September 5, 6pm: The mother of an outspoken Northern Territory senator told police her boss “was rough with some boys” after a fellow staffer came to her with “tears in her eyes,” an Alice Springs court has heard.
Former NT politician Bess Nungarrayi Price – whose daughter is current sitting NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price – was in the stand on the fifth day of the trial of Gavin Morris.
Mr Morris is the former Yipirinya School principal and was charged with five counts of aggravated assault in August last year.
The assaults are alleged to have taken place between January and December in 2023, and Mr Morris has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
At the time Mr Morris was charged, Ms Price worked at the school as an assistant principal.
On Friday, Ms Price was questioned about a statement she provided to police, in which she said music teacher Kirra Voller told her “Gavin was rough with some boys”.
Ms Price gave no evidence which indicated she witnessed Mr Morris being rough with students, but said the teacher had come to her with “tears in her eyes”.
“From what I remember, she said she was upset because of what Gavin had done. That’s all she said,” Ms Price said.
Ms Price was only behind the stand for about 10 minutes, whereas Ms Voller’s evidence was spread over two days.
Under cross-examination on Friday morning, Ms Voller told the court she was “100 per cent” certain she saw Mr Morris grab the ears of three children and remove them from a room.
“There was pulling of ears – that’s what shocked me the most and sent me into a panic attack because … (how) can someone with a PhD in Indigenous trauma inflict trauma on Indigenous children,” she said.
On Friday, Mr Morris sat in the front row of the court and was observed sitting forward, with his chin resting on his fists, listening to Ms Voller.
Mr Morris is being represented by John Wilson, who asked Ms Voller why she told police in her statement Mr Morris only allegedly grabbed two kids, not three as she had stated in court.
Ms Voller said she “was not in a sound state of mind” when giving her statement to police, but told the court she was in a “100 per cent sound state of mind” on Friday.
Two former Yipirinya School teacher aides – Liam Badenoch and Sash Germain – also took to the stand on Friday.
Mr Badenoch claimed he “possibly” saw Mr Morris grab the students by the collars, not the ears.
Prosecutor James Moore questioned him further around this, with Mr Badenoch agreeing his memory of the event may be clouded.
Mr Germain said he saw Mr Morris grab students by the ears, but “he didn’t forcibly rip kids up by the ear”.
Under questioning from Mr Moore, Mr Germain agreed he wouldn’t “have the greatest recollection” of what happened more than two years ago now.
The matter is being presided over by Judge Anthony Hopkins, who has placed a non-publication order over the trial which prevents identifying any of the children involved in the case.
The trial continues.
Former principal allegedly grabbed students by the ears ‘like animals’: Court
September 4, 6.30pm: A former principal treated three of his students “like animals” when he allegedly dragged them by the ears, a witness has told a court.
The trial of Gavin Morris continued in Alice Springs on Thursday, where former Yipirinya music teacher Kirra Voller took to the stand in the afternoon.
She was questioned about text messages she sent to colleague Gemma Seddon, during which she told her “I should have dragged him by the ears” after what allegedly took place on June 7, 2023.
Ms Voller told the court she’d had a panic attack after witnessing Mr Morris allegedly grab three students by the ears and drag them to his office.
Mr Morris has pleaded not guilty to five counts of aggravated assault, alleged to have occurred between January and December 2023.
At the time of the alleged offending, he was the principal of Yipirinya School in Alice Springs.
Between tears, Ms Voller alleged Mr Morris treated the students “like animals” when he grabbed “all three ears and heads” of the students and “dragged them out of the room”.
“I just remember him coming in, being angry, grabbing the boys,” she said.
The boys were inside the Yipirinya childcare centre cleaning up a “big mess” after a break-in by “some boys”, Ms Voller said.
“So we were in there cleaning, assisting the boys to clean up their mess,” she said.
“Then Gavin came storming into the childcare room because I think what he said was that the Pertame School was supposed to be moving in on Monday, and he was angry that it wasn’t clean, ready for them to move in and that he would get professional cleaners.
“In that moment he grabbed the boys by the ears.
“I just remember standing there, like in shock.”
As he was leading the children away, one “just looked so scared,” Ms Voller said.
“To be honest, I was also scared – I didn’t know how to react to that situation,” she said.
Ms Voller told the court she believed Mr Morris took the boys to his office, and “as far as I could see” he was dragging the boys by the ears.
Mr Morris is no longer employed at Yipirinya School, and also resigned from his seat on council in Alice Springs in March this year.
Yipirinya School is an independent school which teaches First Nations children, specialising in teaching local Aboriginal languages.
Ms Voller gave a character assessment of Mr Morris, which his defence lawyer John Wilson objected to.
The objection was not disputed by prosector James Moore, and Judge Anthony Hopkins said he will “disregard the statement of opinion about both the good and bad general comments with respect to Mr Morris”.
Judge Hopkins has placed a non-publication order over the case which prevents the identification of any of the children involved.
Judge Hopkins also closed the court on Thursday as a child gave evidence before Ms Voller took to the stand.
The trial continues.
‘F*****g let go’: Court hears how former principal allegedly held kid
September 4, 1pm: A boy has not been to school since he was allegedly put in a “headlock” – during which he “couldn’t breathe” – by the former Yipirinya School principal, the child’s mother has told the court.
The mum was the first witness to take the stand in the fourth day of former Yipirinya principal Gavin Morris’ mammoth trial in Alice Springs.
The mum – who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of her son – told the court on Thursday she received a phone call on her day off, telling her to come to the school.
The mum told the court she could “hear my son screaming” in the background of the call, and when she arrived at Yipirinya she saw her son “fighting Gavin”.
Mr Morris has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault, which he pleaded not guilty to on Tuesday.
Prosecutor James Moore, reading out the charges on Tuesday, alleged the assaults occurred between January and December 2023.
On Thursday, the mum told the court the former principal of the school had her son in a “headlock” and he was screaming “f*****g let go of me”.
The mum said she told Mr Morris to “f**k off” and “leave him alone” before grabbing her son, who told her he “couldn’t breathe” when Mr Morris was holding him.
The court heard prior to the mum’s arrival, the boy had his pants pulled down during a footy match, with the perpetrator being part of a group of seven boys.
The boys were picking on the son of the mum giving evidence, and when he sought help, he was allegedly held by Mr Morris until the mum arrived, the court heard.
The mother said her son has not been to school since the incident took place.
Mr Morris is being represented by John Wilson, who questioned the mum about particulars around her police statement.
The court heard her police statement did not mention Mr Morris had her son in a “headlock”.
The mum said she’d told the police “her story” and that “nothing in my statement is incorrect”.
The mum also said she had not heard of any evidence prior her giving evidence on Thursday, despite her admitting to talking to her son – who was the first witness to give evidence on Tuesday – prior to her taking to the stand on Thursday.
She told the court she apologised to Mr Morris for swearing at him the day after the incident.
She offered to resign, she said, to which Mr Morris replied “don’t worry about it”.
The court did not hear a date when Mr Morris allegedly held the boy on Thursday.
Mr Morris is no longer the principal of Yipirinya School. He was charged by police in August 2024.
He was granted bail last year, and was sitting in the front row of court on Thursday, where he was observed leaning forward and listening intently to the mum.
Mr Morris also sat on Alice Springs Town Council until he resigned in March this year.
Youths involved in the matter cannot be identified as a non-publication order is place, approved by Judge Anthony Hopkins on Monday before the trial formally commenced.
The trail continues.
‘Additional witness’ throws spanner in the works of former principal’s trial
September 3: Arguments around evidence have revealed the existence of an “additional witness,” who may be giving evidence in the trial of a former principal in Alice Springs, a court has heard.
The “additional witness” was aired in the trial of Gavin Morris, the former Yipirinya School principal fighting five counts of aggravated assault in Alice Springs.
He has entered not guilty pleas to his five counts, alleged to have occurred between January and December 2023, the court heard on Tuesday.
His 10-day trial entered its third day in Alice Springs Local Court on Wednesday, where his matter was twice stood down before it was adjourned for the day.
In the morning, Mr Morris’ lawyer John Wilson said there was additional police evidence which had not been disclosed to the defence team.
Mr Wilson said the further evidence “falls fairly and squarely within the prosecution’s duties of disclosure” and the defence should have had it “in advance of the trial”.
The evidence in question was 80-pages of police notes – both electronic and handwritten – and police body-worn footage.
All were disclosed to the defence team by the afternoon, but when the parties returned to the courtroom, the court heard there could now be an “additional witness” being called in the trial.
The identity or age of the witness – who is “reluctant” to talk, according to Mr Wilson – was not aired in open court Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutor James Moore said they are seeking a statement from the witness.
The evidence of the “additional witness” “potentially” relates to a witness who was due to give evidence on Wednesday, Mr Moore said.
The trial is being presided over by Judge Anthony Hopkins, who on Wednesday also rejected a bid by the defence team to exclude a video interview a child gave to police as evidence in the trial.
Throughout the day, Mr Morris sat in the front row of the gallery in the courtroom.
Dressed in a white shirt with a black tie, black pants, brown dress shoes, and holding a light grey suit jacket, he held his head high entering the court on Wednesday.
Mr Morris was the principal of the independent Yipirinya School in Alice Springs when he was charged by police in August 2024.
The former principal is out on bail and now resides interstate, but has returned to the Red Centre capital for his trial.
He is no longer employed at Yipirinya School, nor does he sit on the Alice Springs Town Council after he resigned in March this year.
Mr Morris’ trial was due to begin on Monday, but was delayed 24 hours as prosecution sought additional time to finalise evidence in the case.
The trial formally began on Tuesday, where the court was closed for a majority of the day by Judge Hopkins while the first witness – a youth – gave their evidence.
A non-publication order is in place preventing the identification of any of the youths giving evidence.
The trial continues.
‘Manhandled him’: Dad ‘angry’ with former principal, court hears
September 2, 6pm: A dad was “angry” during a meeting with a principal, who once led an Alice Springs independent school, due to rumours his son had been “manhandled” by the former school leader, a court has heard.
The dad – who cannot be named as it could identify his son – took to the stand in the trial of Gavin Morris on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Morris, earlier in the day, stood tall inside the courtroom when he pleaded not guilty to five counts of aggravated assault.
Mr Morris, once the principal of Yipirinya School, was charged in August last year for the assaults which allegedly took place in 2023.
Mr Morris is no longer employed at Yipirinya school.
On Tuesday afternoon, the dad was questioned by both prosecutor James Moore and Mr Morris’ defence lawyer John Wilson.
Mr Wilson pressed for detail around a meeting he said took place between the dad, his wife, their son, and Mr Morris at the school.
He specifically questioned if the wife was angry during the meeting, which the dad agreed.
But the dad also told the court “we both were angry at Gavin” when speaking about the meeting.
Mr Moore, when questioning the father, asked why the dad was angry with the former principal.
“Because a lot of people at school had told us he had manhandled him,” the dad replied.
The dad agreed under questioning he was referring to his son being allegedly “manhandled” by Mr Morris.
Teacher Oliver Tuau also took the stand and told the court he sought the principal’s assistance in his classroom after the dad’s son started throwing furniture at students inside the classroom.
He provided a demonstration on lawyer James Raison – part of Mr Morris’ defence team – on how Mr Morris held the student when escorting him out of the classroom and to the office.
Seeing the demonstration, Judge Anthony Hopkins said it was “essentially a bear hug”.
However, Judge Hopkins said some of Mr Tuau’s evidence was “inconsistent” and ruled he’d given “unfavourable” evidence – granting prosecution leave to cross examine their own witness.
Under further questioning from Mr Moore, Mr Tuau was asked if he’d performed a demonstration on Mr Moore on Sunday before the trial began, during which his arm was over the left shoulder, not under.
After a long pause, Mr Tuau said “I don’t recall” and agreed under questioning the “physical contact” between Mr Morris and the youth could have occurred in either 2022 or 2023.
Throughout much of Tuesday, the court was closed by Judge Hopkins as the first witness in the case – a youth – gave evidence.
Prior to closing the court on Tuesday, during Mr Morris’ arraignment, Mr Moore told the court the children involved in the case were all aged below 13-years-old – the age of the eldest child allegedly assaulted.
Two of the children are 12-years-old, while the others are aged eight and nine.
Mr Morris is alleged to have performed “ear pulls” and choked children, the court heard Tuesday morning.
The hearing continues.
Former school principal accused of ‘ear pulls’, choking kids
September 2, 12pm: Accusations of ear pulling and choking were only one part of the formal beginning of a mammoth hearing in Alice Springs, in which a former principal is fighting charges he assaulted kids.
Former Yipirinya School principal Gavin Morris was formally arraigned at 10.50am on Tuesday in the Local Court on five counts of aggravated assault.
Mr Morris, 46, stood tall as he pleaded not guilty to the charges, which prosecutor James Moore alleged were aggravated as the children involved were aged 13-years or under.
Mr Moore said two of the children involved were 12 years old, while the youngest was eight-years-old.
Mr Moore told the court the alleged offending occurred between January and December 2023.
At the time of the alleged offending, Mr Morris was the principal of the independent Yipirinya School in Alice Springs.
He is no longer employed at the school.
Mr Morris was charged in August 2024, and at his first court appearance last year, was granted bail.
He again said he would not make comment as he entered the court on Tuesday, dressed in a navy suit.
Inside the courtroom, he sat in the front row before he was moved to the dock for his arraignment.
After Mr Morris entered his not guilty plea, Judge Anthony Hopkins shut the court so the first witness – a youth – could give their evidence.
Judge Hopkins approved a non-publication order which prevents the identification of any of the youths giving evidence in the case.
Prior to the arraignment, both prosecutors and Mr Morris’ defence lawyer John Wilson had a legal argument on the “particulars” of the charges.
Mr Wilson argued for Mr Morris to be found not guilty if the evidence did not meet the “particulars” of the charge.
During the argument, detail around Mr Morris’ alleged offending was aired before the court – such as him allegedly performing an “ear-pull” on a child, and choking another.
Judge Hopkins said he would rule on Mr Wilson’s request at a later time.
The hearing continues.
Originally published as 10 day Gavin Morris trial hears of ‘gratuitous violence’, ‘breathtakingly inadequate’ investigation
